Method and System for Skill-Based Endorsement and Credential Validation Platform

ABSTRACT

System and method for evaluating the performance of at least one person (“applicant”) are provided. The applicant may select, at his or her discretion, people (“endorsers”) from an automated pre-populated list or manually entered list to request for endorsements or recommendations. This system and method allows the applicant to capture endorsements more efficiently and effectively.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. non-provisionalapplication No. 13,625,669 filed on Sep. 24, 2012, which claims thebenefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to the filing date of U.S.provisional patent application No. 61/673,926 “Skill-Based EndorsementSystem” which was filed on Jul. 20, 2012, and which are incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to automating the endorsement orrecommendation system, and more specifically, an improved system andmethod to request, accept, store, and retrieve recommendations andendorsements from endorsers solicited by the endorsee and facilitatecommunication between the endorser, the endorsee, and interested thirdparties. More specifically, the present invention's automatedendorsement system operates in the field and context of job search.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The job searching process can be a complex and time sensitive endeavorwith an unpredictable outcome. Furthermore, as the number of applicantsexceeds the number of positions, the application and the selectionprocess is also extremely competitive. Often job applicants are requiredto prepare and submit a resume, writing samples, references, as well asletters of recommendation.

As a result, the process of applying for a job is often a time consumingand stressful process for prospective job applicants. Unfortunately,given the above-identified factors, many applicants feel overwhelmed andperhaps even poorly informed about the application and selectionprocess. Accordingly, a need therefore exists for improvements in theprocess of applying for a job. In particular, improvements that offertime-savings and reduce applicant anxiety are highly desirable.

Traditionally, a resume has been the main initial means of communicationbetween a job applicant and a prospective hiring party. Originally, aresume was prepared on paper and submitted by hand to the prospectivehiring party, by mail to a placement agency, or directly to the humanresource department of a company. The rise in computer use led to thesending and acceptance of resumes via email or via other electronicmeans of communication.

Like the use of electronic means of sending, storing, and receivingresumes, other submissions as part of the application package have alsoevolved. However, although technology surrounding the writing anddissemination of the application package has advanced, the traditionaltext based format has not. For example, traditional letters ofrecommendation require the person writing the recommendation letter, orthe endorser, to write a letter from scratch—such a tedious andtime-consuming task that it creates friction in the process of obtainingthose endorsements for the job applicant.

Furthermore, employers and recruiters may receive hundreds or thousandsof responses to a job opening over a period of time. Each applicationpackage, therefore, can only be reviewed briefly. A short recommendationletter may likely be read in its entirety but important information maylikely be left off the letter. The information of interest to a hiringparty may be difficult to find or may be misleading due to the brevity.Even a long recommendation letter, which may contain more keyinformation, would most likely not be read in its entirety and still maynot contain all the potential key information that the prospectivehiring party desires to know. Furthermore, a long recommendation letter,which may contain more key information, would still require unnecessarytime and effort by the hiring party to sift through the writing andlocate strengths and values that are relevant to the position beingfilled.

The recommendation letter format itself is a problem. The applicantusually must determine and locate the desired people suitable forproviding their recommendation or endorsement, such as managers,colleagues, professors, or classmates. Next, the applicant must requestthe recommendation letters from them—this is no easy task. The applicantmust request the recommendation or endorsement in timely manner. Theapplicant must give the people providing the recommendation or theendorsement (“endorser”) enough time to prepare and provide therecommendation. Unfortunately, however, this may not always be possible,as people sometimes may need to change or seek jobs unexpectedly.Furthermore, endorsers may decline to provide their recommendation orendorsement for a variety of reasons—both professional and/or personal.For example, the endorser may decline to provide their recommendationbecause they simply do not have the time to write a recommendation forthe applicant at the time of applicant's request or within the timeframe requested by the applicant. Furthermore, a potential endorser mayrefuse to provide a job applicant with a recommendation due to thedifficult nature of having to execute the recommendation in the form ofa written letter. Thus, a need exists for a system that allows anendorser to provide a recommendation in a format that is quick and easyto execute but still accurately depicts the strengths and values of thejob applicant.

To complicate matters further, the applicants may also need to matchendorsers and their recommendation with the corresponding targetemployment position they are seeking. For example, an applicant mayprefer a professor's recommendation in applying for a teaching positionat a university. Furthermore, the applicant may want to seek ajob-specific recommendation letter from specific endorsers so as to havethe recommendation letter carry more weight. For example, a specificrecommendation for a position from an employee of the corporation forwhich the applicant is seeking employment would carry more weight than ageneric recommendation letter. Unfortunately, seeking only specificrecommendations from relevant endorsers would limit the number ofrecommendations available to the applicant in the applicant's jobsearch. Thus, there is a need to standardize the recommendation formatto make any recommendations from any endorser applicable to anyposition.

The applicant may simply seek a generic recommendation letter from theendorser so as to be able to use the recommendation letter for as manyjobs as possible. Unfortunately, seeking a generic recommendation letteralso has its drawbacks. The recommendation letter may not carry as muchweight, as it is not tailored for a specific job or employment position.The endorser may also refuse to write a recommendation letter that isgeneric and may be used for various employment positions, as theendorser may not be comfortable with such liberal use of his or herrecommendation. Therefore, a need exists for a system that allows thejob applicant to seek and collect recommendations from endorsers thatmay be suitable for use for both specific and generic job or employmentpositions. A need also exists for the applicant to keep a record of therecommendation for use at another time.

More specifically, a need exists for a format that allows a job seekerto provide more information regarding their qualifications andcredentials to a prospective hiring party. A need exists for jobapplicants to present their credentials to a prospective hiring party ina format and presentation that goes beyond traditional methods toprovide a broader, more complete view of the applicant's abilities whilemaking it easier to evaluate. A need also exists for prospective hiringparties to access this additional information about applicants, allowingfar more insight and depth to adequately match available positions,without sacrificing time and money.

Therefore, it is desirable to have a system and method that is morefocused on the needs of a hiring party while enhancing accuracy,enhancing efficiency, and minimizing the high costs required throughother existing methods. The present invention disclosed herein allowsjob seekers to capture a large amount of endorsements quickly andeasily, by reducing the time and effort required by the endorser toperform the recommendation. They simply have to choose a set of skillsand personality traits from a pre-populated list as opposed to having toactively write an elaborate letter of recommendation.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide asystem and method for one person evaluating the performance of at leastanother person, such as a job applicant.

It is also an object of the invention to facilitate the exchange ofevaluation of at least one person, such as a job applicant, withendorsement or recommendation through electronic means of communication.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a portal forfacilitating interaction between job applicants, prospective hiringparties, and any potential interested third parties in an efficient andeffective way.

It is also an object of the invention to allow users, for example jobapplicants, to provide as much comprehensive information as possible tointerested prospective hiring parties.

It is also an object of the invention to allow prospective hiring partyto retrieve and obtain as much potential job applicant information aspossible in the more efficient way.

It is also an object of the invention to allow endorsers to provide forjob applicants endorsements or recommendations for applicants in searchof employment in a simple and time saving way.

It is also an object of the invention to allow endorsers to verify orvalidate the degree or work experience of the job applicant.

It is also an object of the invention to facilitate the request,acceptance, storage, and retrieval of recommendations and endorsementsfrom one person, such as the endorser, solicited by the other, such asthe job applicant.

It is also an object of the invention to facilitate communicationbetween the applicant, the endorser, and any potential interested thirdparties.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the most updatedinformation about the applicant for prospective hiring parties.

It is also an object of the invention to allow the job applicants withthe ability to request endorsements or recommendation in anotherlanguage that can be translated into English and vice versa.

It is also an object of the invention to allow the endorsers with theability to provide endorsements or recommendation in another languagethat can be translated into English and vice versa.

It is also an object of the invention to allow the prospective hiringparty with the ability to retrieve and view endorsements orrecommendation in another language that can be translated into Englishand vice versa.

It is also an object of the invention to allow the applicants toorganize the endorsements or recommendations through keeping track ofthe requests, checking on the status of the endorsements orrecommendations, and maintaining a database of such endorsements orrecommendations.

It is also an object of the invention to allow the hiring party tocompile a list of skills desired for an applicant, whereby the hiringparty may select the more important or desired skills in an applicant.

It is also an object of the invention to allow the most qualifiedapplicant—that is the applicant with the most desired-for skills—to bematched and presented to the hiring party based on the hiring party'slist of desired skills in an applicant for that particular employmentposition.

It is also an object of the invention to allow the applicants' endorserlist to be automatically populated by taking advantage of their socialnetwork, such as Facebook or LinkedIn account.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention aredescribed herein with specificity so as to make the present inventionunderstandable to one of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention discloses a method to facilitate aninteraction platform for skill-based endorsement comprising of providinga network; providing a host computer system wherein the host computer isconnected to the network wherein the host computer provides a platformfor one or more skill-based endorsement endorser to provide one or moreskill-based endorsement to one or more skill-based endorsement endorsee;having the skill-based endorsement endorsee to import his or hercontacts from external sources into the platform; further having theskill-based endorsement endorsee initiates endorsement request to hiscontact via the platform; wherein the skill-based endorser responds tothe request by providing one or more endorsements via the platform.

In one embodiment, the platform is comprised of an analytical modulewherein the module analyzes data comprising endorser activities,endorsee activities and endorsement activities. In one embodiment, theendorsee further initiates endorsement request based on the dataanalysis of the module. In one embodiment, the platform furthercomprises an endorsee profile wherein the endorsee's profile comprisesthe endorsements endorsed by the endorser. In one embodiment, theendorsee profile is available for viewing by the public. In oneembodiment, the endorsee profile is available for viewing by a specificuser wherein the specific user is determined by the endorsee. In oneembodiment, the platform is further comprised of a pre-determined listof endorsements wherein the endorser provides the endorsement byselecting one of the pre-determined endorsements from the list.

In one other embodiment, the endorsee is a job applicant. In oneembodiment, the public is comprised of one or more hiring parties. Inone embodiment, the endorsements are arranged on the endorsee profilebased on a pre-determined algorithm. In one embodiment, thepre-determined algorithm lists endorsements from top to bottom based onvouch frequency. In another embodiment, the skill-based endorsementendorser endorses a skill that is related to a certain job field.

In one embodiment, the platform is comprised of a relevancy modulewherein said endorsement is selected from a recommendation listgenerated by said relevancy module wherein said relevancy modulegenerates said recommendation list based on skills said skill-basedendorsement endorsee claims in his professional profile. In anotherembodiment, the platform is comprised of a relevancy module wherein saidendorsement is selected from a recommendation list generated by saidrelevancy module wherein said relevancy module generates saidrecommendation list based on skills that have been most frequentlyvouched for by other skill-based endorsement endorser. In anotherembodiment, the platform is comprised of a relevancy module wherein saidendorsement is selected from a recommendation list generated by saidrelevancy module wherein said relevancy module generates saidrecommendation list based on a set of skills that are relevant to saidskill-based endorsement endorser's specific education and employmenthistory.

In another aspect of the invention, a system to host an interactionplatform for skill-based endorsement disclosed which is comprised of anetwork; a host computer system wherein the host computer is connectedto the network wherein the host computer provides a platform for one ormore skill-based endorsement endorser to provide one or more skill-basedendorsement to one or more skill-based endorsement endorsee; wherein theskill-based endorsement endorsee imports his or her contacts fromexternal sources into the platform, wherein skill-based endorsementendorsee initiates endorsement request to his contacts via the platform,wherein the skill-based endorsement endorser responds to the request byproviding one or more endorsements via the platform.

In one embodiment, the platform is comprised of an analytical modulewherein the module analyzes data comprising endorser activities,endorsee activities and endorsement activities. In one embodiment, theendorsee further initiates endorsement request based on the dataanalysis of the module.

In one embodiment, the platform further comprises an endorsee profilewherein the endorsee's profile comprises endorsements. In oneembodiment, the endorsee profile is available to the public for viewing.In one embodiment, the endorsee profile is available only to specificusers for viewing wherein the specific user is determined by theendorsee. In one embodiment, the public is comprised of one or morehiring parties.

In one embodiment, the platform is further comprised of a pre-determinedlist of endorsements wherein the endorser provides the endorsement byselecting one of the pre-determined endorsements from the list. In oneembodiment, the endorsee is a job applicant. In one embodiment, theendorsements are arranged on the endorsee profile based on apre-determined algorithm. In one embodiment, the pre-determinedalgorithm lists endorsements from top to bottom based on vouchfrequency. In one embodiment, the skill-based endorsement endorserendorses a skill that is related to a specific job field.

In another aspect of the invention, disclosed is a system to host aninteraction platform for users comprising a network; a host computer;wherein the host computer is connected to the network wherein the hostcomputer provides a job placement platform for one or more users tointeract for the purpose of job placement wherein the users arecomprised of at least one job seeking user, at least one job provideruser, and at least one third party skill-based endorsement provider, askill endorsement request module allowing the job seeking user torequest skill-based endorsement from the third party skill-basedendorsement provider and allowing the third party skill-basedendorsement provider to provide a skill-based endorsement to the jobseeking user, a viewing module wherein the job provider user can viewthe job seeking user's skill-based endorsements in deciding whether tohire the job seeker.

In one embodiment, the job placement platform is further comprised of ananalytical module wherein the module analyzes data comprising the jobseeking user activities, the job provider user activities and the thirdparty skill-based endorsement provider activities. In one embodiment,the job seeking user initiates further skill-based endorsement requestbased on data analysis of the analytical module.

In one embodiment, the job seeking user can select which job providercan view the job seeking user's skill-based endorsement. In oneembodiment, the endorsee profile is available only to specific users forviewing wherein the specific user is determined by the endorsee. In oneembodiment, the skill endorsement request module is further comprised ofa validation module wherein the validation module allows the job seekinguser to request a credential validation from the third party skill-basedendorsement provider and allowing the third party skill-basedendorsement provider to provide the credential validation to the jobseeking user wherein the viewing module allows the job provider user toview the job seeking user's credential validation in deciding whether tohire the job seeker. In one embodiment, the credential validation moduleis further comprised of a validation relevancy module wherein thevalidation relevancy module generates a recommended list of credentialvalidation requests to the third party skill-based endorsement providerbased on the credential of the Job seeking user and the credential'snexus to the third party skill-based endorsement provider.

In another embodiment, the credential is comprised both academic andprofessional credentials. So for example, if the third party skill-basedendorsement provider's association with the job seeking user is based ona “professor to student” association, then the validation relevancymodule will automatically generate credential validation requests as tothe job seeking user's educational degree.

In another aspect of the invention, a system to host an interactionplatform for users comprising a network; a host computer; wherein thehost computer is connected to the network wherein the host computerprovides a job placement platform for one or more users to interact forthe purpose of job placement wherein the users are comprised of at leastone job seeking user, at least one job provider user, and at least onethird party credential validation provider, a credential validationmodule allowing the job seeking user to request credential validationfrom the third party credential validation provider and allowing thethird party credential validation provider to provide a credentialvalidation to the job seeking user, a viewing module wherein the jobprovider user can view the job seeking user's credential validation indeciding whether to hire the job seeker. In one embodiment the jobplacement platform is further comprised of an analytical module whereinthe module analyzes data comprising the job seeking user activities, thejob provider user activities and the third party credential validationprovider activities.

In one embodiment, the job seeking user initiates further credentialvalidation request based on data analysis of the analytical module. Inone embodiment the job seeking user can select which job provider canview the job seeking credential validation.

In one embodiment the skill a credential validation module is furthercomprised of a validation relevancy module wherein the validationrelevancy module generates a recommended list of credential validationrequests third party credential validation provider based on the profileof the job seeking user. In one embodiment, the credential validationmodule is further comprised of a validation relevancy module wherein thevalidation relevancy module generates a recommended list of credentialvalidation requests to the third party credential validation providerbased on the credential of the Job seeking user and the credential'snexus to the third party credential validation provider. In anotherembodiment, the credential is comprised both academic and professionalcredentials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the invention will now bedescribed with reference to the drawings of certain preferredembodiments, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit theinvention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the applicant's options ofsending an endorsement or vouch request to potential endorsers orviewing vouched skills compiled from the complete endorsements orrecommendations from endorsers.

FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process of sending anendorsement or recommendation request from the applicants to thepotential endorsers.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process of respondingto the endorsement or recommendation request, wherein the endorsers havethe option of either accepting or declining to provide the endorsementor recommendation.

FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process viewing theendorsements or recommendations for the applicant by either theapplicant him or herself or by the hiring party.

FIG. 5 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the send list thatis pre-populated with the information that is extrapolated from theapplicant's social network such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or other similaraccounts.

FIG. 6 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the endorser'svouches form, wherein the endorser can select from a list of hardskills, soft skills, or personality traits, and also provide an optionalwritten description to support the selection.

FIG. 7 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the applicant'svouches, wherein the applicant can view the number of vouches that eachcategory of endorsers have provided to the applicant.

FIG. 8 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the applicant'sskills set, wherein the applicant and/or the hiring party may be able toview his or her list of skill sets as compiled using the endorsements orrecommendations from the endorsers.

FIG. 9 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the vouch requestform sent by the applicant to the endorser, wherein the endorser mayeither accept or decline to provide his or her endorsement orrecommendation accordingly.

FIG. 10 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the applicant'seducation and work experience verification and validation form, whereinthe endorser can confirm the education and work experience of theapplicant.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The system and method of the invention disclosed herein is an innovativeskill-based endorsement or recommendation system. More specifically, thesystem is a unique system that more readily allows job seekers(“applicants”) to supplement their professional profile withendorsements from classmates, professors, colleagues and managers(“endorser”) in an electronic form. In other words, the system allowsapplicants to request from endorsers for their support by vouching forthe applicants.

More specifically, each endorser is required to peg each vouch with aset of distinct skills or personality traits that he or she considersthe strong suit of the applicant. The endorser also has the option towrite a brief statement expounding upon the suggested strengths of theendorsee. For example, the endorser may vouch for the applicant as beinga team player who can work well in a team environment. In such a case,the endorser would be given an opportunity for him or her to give atleast one reason he or she believes the applicant is a good team player,e.g. the endorser had previously collaborated or worked on a jointproject with the applicant.

Furthermore, each endorser can also serve to verify or validate thedegrees and work experiences of the applicant. For example, a professorwould likely be more competent in verifying or validating whether theapplicant has a specialization, certification, or degree in a certainarea of study. An employer, on the other hand, would be more able toverify or validate the applicant's work experience. As such, endorserswould be prompted to verify and validate the applicant's education andwork experience.

As the endorser provides or vouches for the other skills of theapplicants, a list of skills will be generated by the system through theendorser's input. The list of skills compiled by the system will then beprovided to the applicant in order of skill popularity. In other words,if more endorsers provide that the applicant is a team-player, but fewerendorsers provide that the applicant has strong communication skills,then the trait “team-player” will rank higher than the skill “strongcommunication skills” in the list. As such, this will allow theapplicants to understand their strengths as well as relative weaknesses.Furthermore, these vouched-for skills will serve as validation of skillsalready established in the applicants profile as well as reveal a newset of skills they may have not known they have. In other words, theapplicants may discover skills or talents that they never knew they had,and, thus, gain a better understanding of themselves in a professionalsetting.

As the endorsers verify and validate the education level and the workexperience of the applicant, the information will be stored andreflected in the system. Therefore, upon identifying a potentialapplicant, the hiring party would be able to access the system to verifyand validate the applicant's education and work experience as necessary.This is important because one major problem that exists in today's jobmarket is that many resumes have some level of fraudulence, whether itbe the claimed level of expertise for any particular skill, years workedat an organization, degree level, job title, etc. As such, this systemand method will also provide an extra level of verification orvalidation of the applicant.

Similarly, the hiring party will be presented with the same list ofskills, helping them validate the proclaimed skill set in theapplicant's profile as well as learn more about the particular strengthsof that applicant. From the list of skills, the hiring party would beable to select desired candidates from the applicant pool throughindicating which skills from the list are more desirable than those ofother skills. For example, a hiring party seeking a candidate for asecretarial position may find that an applicant's skill for being“organized” is far more important than an applicant's skill for being a“team-player.” As such, the hiring party can sort through the applicantpool through the use of the list of skills of applicants, thereby aidingthe hiring party to hire a better qualified applicant for a particularemployment position.

In one embodiment of the invention, the applicant has a section underhis or her profile showing how many endorsements or recommendations thatthey have from each category of endorsers. These endorser categories mayinclude, but is not limited to, classmates, professors, colleagues andmanagers. Under each category, the applicant can see the list ofendorsers and their endorsements of the applicant. From such, theapplicant would be able to gain a better understanding of his or herstrength as well as relative weaknesses based on the vouches of theendorsers.

Initially, in order to obtain the endorsements or recommendations of theendorsers, the applicant must send a request to the endorsers. Insending these requests the system can automatically pre-populate a listof people suitable for being endorsers for the applicant in eachcategory using the applicant's network information extrapolated from theuser's Facebook, LinkedIn, or other similar social network accounts. Theapplicant can then manually add or remove recipients from thepre-populated list before sending the request.

In one embodiment, the present invention allows job seekers to sendendorsement requests to connections across multiple social andprofessional networking platforms. Upon registration, the job seeker isprompted to import their connections from platforms such as Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter and other social and professional networking sites inorder to access a broadened endorser base. In the process ofimportation, the job seeker is asked by said social and professionalnetworking platform if they ‘allow’ the present invention to accesstheir network information, including their network's work history andeducation information. If the job seeker agrees, the present inventionimports and aggregates all the job seeker user's network connectionsfrom each source, including their network's work history and educationinformation.

Now, when the job seeker engages in the ‘send requests’ module in theprocess of sending endorsement requests, the present invention presentsthe job seeker an organized send list comprising of all theirconnections derived from their resulting aggregate network. Furthermore,when the job seeker chooses a specific category of endorser (i.e.classmate, professor, colleague, supervisor, or friend), the platformgenerates a category-specific send list comprising of endorsers fromthat particular category (e.g. if the user chooses the ‘classmates’category, the system finds all their connections from their aggregatenetwork that attended the same school as the job seeker). Afterspecifying exactly to which endorsers they are sending the requests, thepresent invention then sends those requests directly to the recipientvia the respective platform from which they are derived, whether it beFacebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or any other variety of social andprofessional network platform (e.g. if the job seeker sends anendorsement request to a classmate derived from the Facebook platform,that classmate receives the request directly on the Facebook platform,where they are then redirected to our site to fill out the ‘vouchrequest form.’ Once the endorser submits the ‘vouch request form,’ thejob seeker user now sees the submitted endorsed skills in his/herprofile and is able to view exactly whom endorsed that particular skill(e.g. if the endorser endorsed the job seeker's Analytical skill, thejob seeker is able to see the name of that particular endorser).

Then, when the recipient has received the request, they have twooptions: (1) Yes, I do vouch for this individual or (2) No, I do notvouch for this individual. The endorsers can decline to recommend theindividual for a variety of reasons, whether personal or professional.Upon declining to provide their recommendation or endorsement of theindividual, they are required to choose from a brief list of reasons forwhy they do not vouch for that individual—i.e. “I don't know this personwell enough.”Alternatively, the endorser can choose to accept therequest and endorse the applicant.

In one embodiment, upon choosing to endorse the individual, theendorsers are prompted to choose up to ten skills and personality traitsthat the endorser considers the strong suit of that particularindividual—i.e. a reason for why they vouch for that individual. Infulfilling this task, the endorser has two options—the endorser caneither vouch for new skills or personality traits or the endorsers canvouch for relevant skills. In vouching for new skills or personalitytraits, the endorser can vouch for any skill or trait he or she wishesby typing into a hybrid field/dropdown menu, which is prepopulated withhard skills, soft skills and personality traits. On the other hand, invouching for relevant skills, the endorser can choose from asystem-generated, predetermined list of skills and traits, which isderived from three sources: A) Skills the applicant has claimed in theirprofessional profile B) Skills that have been most frequently vouchedfor by other endorsers and C) A set of skills generated by our systemthat are relevant to the applicant's specific education and employmenthistory (e.g. for a computer science major, the system would suggestskills like ‘CSS,’ ‘HTML,’ ‘Object oriented programming,’‘technologically savvy,’ etc.). Once the endorser has vouched for up toten skills and/or personality traits, he or she also has the option towrite a brief statement expounding upon the reason they chose any of thechosen skills or strengths. Finally, the endorser is prompted by thesystem to provide his or her name and to provide information regardingat which school or company he or she had worked with the endorsee. Thesystem will know whether to ask for the school or company based on whatthe endorser category the applicant indicated on the send request form.

Upon receiving the endorsement or recommendations from the endorsers,the vouches will be stored in the database of the system. From there,the applicant can access his or her account and view his or her vouchesfrom the endorsers. The applicant will be presented with a list ofskills compiled from the complete vouches from his or her endorsers.Theses compiled skills are ranked in order of vouch frequency (e.g. “9professors said you have strong presentation skills,” “7 professors saidyou have strong Microsoft Excel skills,” etc.). This will allow theapplicant to be able to self-evaluate his or her relative strength andweaknesses, thus providing the applicant with a better understanding ofhim or herself.

Furthermore, the hiring parties can also view the same list of skillsfrom the applicant's endorsers. Hiring parties can use the compiled listof skills in the assessment process of that candidate. By matching thedesired-for skills for a particular employment position with the skillsof the applicants, the hiring parties can better find a more suitableapplicant for the available position.

In another aspect of the invention, a system to host an interactionplatform for users comprising a network; a host computer; wherein thehost computer is connected to the network wherein the host computerprovides a job placement platform for one or more users to interact forthe purpose of job placement wherein the users are comprised of at leastone job seeking user, at least one job provider user, and at least onethird party credential validation provider, a credential validationmodule allowing the job seeking user to request credential validationfrom the third party credential validation provider and allowing thethird party credential validation provider to provide a credentialvalidation to the job seeking user, a viewing module wherein the jobprovider user can view the job seeking user's credential validation indeciding whether to hire the job seeker. In one embodiment the jobplacement platform is further comprised of an analytical module whereinthe module analyzes data comprising the job seeking user activities, thejob provider user activities and the third party credential validationprovider activities.

In one embodiment, the job seeking user initiates further credentialvalidation request based on data analysis of the analytical module. Inone embodiment the job seeking user can select which job provider canview the job seeking credential validation.

In another aspect of the invention, the system is capable of hosting aninteraction platform for users comprising a network; a host computer;wherein the host computer is connected to the network wherein the hostcomputer provides a job placement platform for one or more users tointeract for the purpose of job placement wherein the users arecomprised of at least one job seeking user, at least one job provideruser, and at least one third party credential validation provider, acredential validation module allowing the job seeking user to requestcredential validation from the third party credential validationprovider and allowing the third party credential validation provider toprovide a credential validation to the job seeking user, a viewingmodule wherein the job provider user can view the job seeking user'scredential validation in deciding whether to hire the job seeker.

So similar to the third party skill-based endorsement request, thevalidation request is sent out to a validation provider for validation.Typical credential validation includes credential such as degrees,educational backgrounds, certificates, memberships and or awards.

In one embodiment the job placement platform is further comprised of ananalytical module wherein the module analyzes data comprising the jobseeking user activities, the job provider user activities and the thirdparty credential validation provider activities. In one embodiment, thejob seeking user initiates further credential validation request basedon data analysis of the analytical module. In one embodiment the jobseeking user can select which job provider can view the job seekingcredential validation.

In one embodiment the skill a credential validation module is furthercomprised of a validation relevancy module wherein the validationrelevancy module generates a recommended list of credential validationrequests third party credential validation provider based on the profileof the job seeking user. In one embodiment, the credential validationmodule is further comprised of a validation relevancy module wherein thevalidation relevancy module generates a recommended list of credentialvalidation requests to the third party credential validation providerbased on the credential of the Job seeking user and said credential'snexus to the third party credential validation provider. In anotherembodiment, the credential is comprised both academic and professionalcredentials. So for example, the validation relevancy module detects inthe profile of the job seeking user which has the job seeking user'scredentials showing education degrees and it detects the connection ofthe third party credential validation provider as student and professor,it then prompts to send credential validation request to validate thejob seeker's degree. In another example, the validation relevancy moduledetects the association of the third party credential validationprovider to the job seeker as “committee to member”, it then prompts tosend credential validation request to validate the job seeker's tomembership credential.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart diagram of the skill-based endorsement systemprocess, wherein the job seeker, or endorsee, may log into the system toview his or her profile 100. Via his or her profile 100, the endorseecan, through the system, either send “Vouch Requests” 101 or view“Vouched Skills” 102 acquired from responses of endorsers from previousvouch requests.

In FIG. 2, upon selecting the “Vouch Request,” 200 the endorsee willthen chooses a recipient category 201 for the system to populate a sendlist, wherein the categories can be from classmates, professors,colleagues, managers, etc. 202. In one embodiment, the systemautomatically populate a “Send List” 203 for each category using theendorsee's network information extrapolated from a variety of availablesources, such as Facebook or LinkedIn accounts, among others wherein theendorsee is then able to manually add or remove recipients from the“Send List” 203. Specifically, the present invention allows job seekersto send endorsement requests to connections across multiple social andprofessional networking platforms. Upon registration, the job seeker isprompted to import their connections from platforms such as Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter and other social and professional networking sites inorder to access a broadened endorser base. In the process ofimportation, the job seeker is asked by said social and professionalnetworking platform if they ‘allow’ the present invention to accesstheir network information, including their network's work history andeducation information. If the job seeker agrees, the present inventionimports and aggregates all the job seeker user's network connectionsfrom each source, including their network's work history and educationinformation.

Upon selecting the desirable individuals for the “Send List” 203, theendorsee will be prompted by the system to review the “Send RequestForm” 204, wherein the endorsee can include a message to thoseindividuals on the “Send List” 203 in order to obtain the desiredendorsements. Upon the endorsee's satisfaction and approval, the “VouchRequest” 200 will be sent out via email or other means of electroniccommunication 205 to the intended recipients 206, i.e. individuals onthe “Send List” 203.

In FIG. 3, upon receiving the “Vouch Request” 300, via email or othermeans of electronic communication 301 from the endorsee, the recipients302 have two options 303: to either choose not to provide his or herendorsement 304 or choose to provide his or her endorsement 305 of theendorsee. If a recipient 302 decides not provide his or her endorsement304, the recipient 302 is prompted by the system to provide at least onereason explaining why they do not endorse that individual 306, e.g. “Ido not know this person well enough.” Upon such selection to provide areason for declining to endorse 306, the recipient 302 can send his orher response 307 to the endorsee, wherein the endorsee can know why heor she did not receive the endorsement of a particular individual 302.

If a recipient 302 decides to provide his or her endorsement 305, therecipient or endorsee 302, can then choose from a pre-populated list 308of soft skills, hard skills, or personality traits that he or sheconsiders to be the strong suit of the endorsee 309, i.e. a reason forwhy they vouch for that individual. Furthermore, the endorser 302 isalso given the option of providing a brief written statement 310regarding the endorsee. In another embodiment, the endorser 302 can alsogive a brief written statement 310 as to why he vouched for a specificskill or trait for the endorsee. To the satisfaction and approval of theendorser 302, the list of skills 309 and the written statement 310, ifany, are then sent back 311 to the endorsee.

In FIG. 4, the system keeps a record 400 of all the endorsements theendorsee received from the endorsers via “Vouch Requests” that were sentout, wherein the endorsee 401 and potential employer 402 can both view403 the endorsee's list of vouched skills and endorsements in itsassessment of the candidate.

In FIG. 5 the “send list” 500 is a list 501 that is pre-populated withthe personal information that is extrapolated from the applicant'ssocial network such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or other similar accounts.The send list 501 is comprised of various categories, such asclassmates, professors, managers and colleagues 502. Furthermore, undereach category, there is a list of individuals 501 that may serve as anendorser who may endorse or recommend for the applicant. The applicantwill be given a choice to manually select 503 which individuals from thelist 501 would serve to be his or her endorser.

FIG. 6 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the endorser'svouches form 600, wherein the endorser can select from a list of hardskills, soft skills, or personality traits. For example, in thisembodiment, the endorser selected, among others, that the applicant has“good presentation skills” 601. Upon selection of a hard skill, softskill, or personality trait, the endorser may, upon his or her choosing,provide a written description 602 to support his or her reasoning forselecting the skills set that he or she believes the applicant has.

FIG. 7 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the applicant'svouches 700, wherein the applicant can view the number of vouches 701,702, 703, 704 that each category of endorsers 705, 706, 707, 708 haveprovided to the applicant. If the applicant feels that the number ofvouches 701, 702, 703, 704 from certain categories of endorsers 705,706, 707, 708 is lacking, the applicant may click on the “send requests”button to send more requests in a given category. For example, here, theapplicant only has 4 vouches 704 in the “colleagues” category 708.Therefore, the applicant may wish to use send requests 709 to othercolleagues in order to get more endorsements or recommendations. If, onthe other hand, the applicant is satisfied with the number of vouches701, 702, 703, 704 from each categories of endorsers 705, 706, 707, 708,then the applicant can go on to view his skills sets 710.

FIG. 8 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the applicant'sskills set. Upon selecting to view his or her skills set 800, theapplicant will be given a list of skills in order of the skills morefrequently mentioned to those less frequently mentioned by theendorsers. For example, the first skill listed with nine professorsstating that that applicant has strong presentation skills 801 is themost often mentioned skill by the applicant's endorser, and as such, itis the first on the list. Then, the second skill listed shows that sevenprofessors stated that the applicant has strong Microsoft Excel skills802. This would indicate that of those skills vouched for the applicant,it is the second most mentioned strength of the applicant, etc. Both theapplicant and/or the hiring party may be able to view the applicant'slist of skills 803 as compiled using the endorsements or recommendationsfrom the endorsers.

FIG. 9 is a schematic screenshot of an embodiment of the vouch requestform sent by the applicant to the endorser. The vouch request form willidentify the applicant 900 and provide his or her basic information 901,such as company, school, major, degree, location, etc. The vouch requestform will also include a message 902 from the applicant to the endorser,wherein the applicant explains the reason and requests for theendorsement or recommendation of the endorser. Next, the endorser isgiven an option 903 to accept 904 or decline 905 to provide endorsementor recommendation of the applicant. Upon declining 905 to provide therequested endorsement or recommendation, the endorser will be promptedto provide his or her reason for declining. Upon accepting 904 toprovide the requested endorsement or recommendation, the endorser willbe prompted to choose from a list of up to ten skills and personalitytraits 906 of the applicant. The endorser can either vouch for newskills or personality traits 907 or vouch for relevant skills 908 of theapplicant. In one embodiment, in vouching for new skills or personalitytraits 907, the endorser can vouch for any skill or trait they have bytyping into an input form wherein these skills or traits can becategorized under a) hard skill, b) soft skill, and c) personalitytrait. In another embodiment, in vouching for relevant skills 908, theendorser can choose from a system-generated, predetermined list ofskills and traits, which are derived from three sources: a) Skills theapplicant has claimed in his or her professional profile, b) Skills thathave been most frequently vouched for by other endorsers and c) A set ofskills generated by our system that are relevant to the applicant'sspecific education and employment history (e.g. for a computer sciencemajor, the system would suggest skills like ‘CSS,’ ‘HTML,’ ‘Objectoriented programming,’ ‘technologically savvy,’ etc.). Finally, uponvouching up to ten skills and/or personality traits, the endorser hasthe option 909 to expound upon any of the suggested strengths. Theendorsers can choose any of the chosen skills/strengths in the previousstep 910 and give a brief explanation 911. The system also prompts theendorser to provide his or her name 912, association 913 and school orcompany 914. Upon completion of the form, the endorser can then submit915 the vouch request form.

FIG. 10 is a schematic screenshot of another embodiment of the vouchsystem which includes a validation request form wherein in the educationand work experience form 1000, a the list of education level 1001 andwork experience 1002 as indicated by the applicant is presented to theendorser for validation. The endorser then will have the ability toverify and validate that education 1001 or work experience 1002 asappropriate and as necessary. Similar to the endorsements, thevalidations can be viewed by other users. In one embodiment, thevalidation request form will identify the applicant's school, major,degree, location, etc. The validation request form will also include amessage from the applicant to the endorser, wherein the applicantexplains the reason and requests for validation of the endorser. Next,the endorser is given an option to accept or decline to providevalidation to the applicant. Upon declining to provide the requestedvalidation, the endorser will be prompted to provide his or her reasonfor declining. Upon completion of the form, the endorser can then submitthe validation request form.

FIG. 10 is a schematic screenshot of another embodiment of the vouchsystem which includes a validation module wherein in the education andwork experience form 1000, a the list of education level 1001 and workexperience 1002 as indicated by the applicant is presented to theendorser for validation. The endorser then will have the ability toverify and validate that education 1001 or work experience 1002 asappropriate and as necessary. Similar to the endorsements, thevalidations can be viewed by other users.

The claimed subject matter has been provided here in specific detailswith reference to one or more features or embodiments. It is appreciatedthat changes and modifications may be applied to said embodimentswithout limiting or departing from the generally intended scope. Theseand various other adaptations and combinations of said embodiments arewithin the scope of the disclosed subject matter as defined by theclaims and their full set of equivalents.

1. A system to host an interaction platform for users comprising anetwork; a host computer; wherein said host computer is connected tosaid network wherein said host computer provides a job placementplatform for one or more users to interact for the purpose of jobplacement wherein said users are comprised of at least one job seekinguser, at least one job provider user, and at least one third partyskill-based endorsement provider, a skill endorsement request moduleallowing said job seeking user to request skill-based endorsement fromsaid third party skill-based endorsement provider and allowing saidthird party skill-based endorsement provider to provide a skill-basedendorsement to said job seeking user, a viewing module wherein said jobprovider user can view said job seeking user's skill-based endorsementsin deciding whether to hire said job seeker wherein said job placementplatform is further comprised of an analytical module wherein saidanalytical module categorizes said third party skill-based endorsementprovider into one or more classes based on said third party skill-basedendorsement provider's relationship to said job seeking user andquantify the number of endorsements of said job seeking user receivedfrom said one or more classes wherein said analytical module furtherprovides for viewing by displaying a frame showing said quantity ofendorsements received from said one or more classes wherein said jobseeking user initiates further skill-based endorsement request based onviewing said frame.
 2. A system to host an interaction platform forusers comprising a network; a host computer; wherein said host computeris connected to said network wherein said host computer provides a jobplacement platform for one or more users to interact for the purpose ofjob placement wherein said users are comprised of at least one jobseeking user, at least one job provider user, and at least one thirdparty skill-based endorsement provider, a skill endorsement requestmodule allowing said job seeking user to request skill-based endorsementfrom said third party skill-based endorsement provider and allowing saidthird party skill-based endorsement provider to provide a skill-basedendorsement to said job seeking user, a viewing module wherein said jobprovider user can view said job seeking user's skill-based endorsementsin deciding whether to hire said job seeker wherein said job placementplatform is further comprised of an analytical module wherein saidanalytical module categorizes said third party skill-based endorsementprovider into one or more relationship classes based on said third partyskill-based endorsement provider's relationship to said job seekinguser; and categorizes said skill-based endorsement into one or moreskill classes based on the skill type of said skill-based endorsement;and quantify the number of endorsements of said job seeking userreceived from said one or more relationship classes and said one or moreskill classes wherein said analytical module further provides forviewing by displaying a frame showing said quantity of endorsementsreceived from said one or more relationship classes and said skillclasses wherein said job seeking user initiates further skill-basedendorsement request based on viewing said frame.
 3. (canceled)
 4. Systemof claim 1 wherein said job seeking user can select which job providercan view said job seeking user's skill-based endorsement.
 5. System ofclaim 1 wherein said job seeking user's skill-based endorsement isavailable only to specific users for viewing wherein said specific useris determined by said third party skill-based endorsement provider. 6.The system of claim 1 wherein said skill endorsement request module isfurther comprised of a validation module wherein said validation moduleallows said job seeking user to request a credential validation fromsaid third party skill-based endorsement provider and allowing saidthird party skill-based endorsement provider to provide said credentialvalidation to said job seeking user wherein said viewing module allowssaid job provider user to view said job seeking user's credentialvalidation in deciding whether to hire said job seeker.
 7. The system ofclaim 6 wherein said credential validation module is further comprisedof a validation relevancy module wherein said validation relevancymodule generates a recommended list of credential validation requests tosaid third-party skill-based endorsement provider based on thecredential of said Job seeking user and said credential's nexus to saidthird-party skill-based endorsement provider.
 8. The System of claim 7wherein said credential is comprised both academic and professionalcredentials. 9-14. (canceled)